Interview With Alan Morgan

The Manager Gives His View On That Mané Red Card, The Academy, Barry Town & The JD Welsh Cup

Alan, some contentious decisions this past week in the world of football, from the JDWPL to the English Premier League. The biggest talking point involved your supported club Liverpool with the Sadio Mané challenge on Ederson, so what’s your view, red card or no red card?

I believe it’s a red card because at the end of the day he’s collided with a fellow professionals face, and therefore dangerous play. But had he got a touch to it first then Ederson would have collided with Mané and he would have been sent off, so he had to go for it, I’d want my lads to go for it and take the consequences afterwards.

Last Thursday night we were involved in the trial of Thursday night league football against Prestatyn Town streamed live on Sgorio. What do you see the benefits and negatives were of playing on a Thursday night?

It was really good to be fair, I enjoy football any day of the week but I also missed out playing on the weekend. As you say it’s a trial, we had a good attendance and it’s something that the league of Wales can look forward to in the future if all goes well.

When in the changing room before games how much time do you allow for the senior players to say their piece or motivate the lads prior to a game, and do you think it’s important to allow them their say?

In the changing room the manager needs to take control of team talks and the way you’re going to play, but you’ll always listen to players if they want to pull you to one side and give their opinions, I’m always willing to listen to them, but ultimately it’s the managers who get the sack not the players!

Who do you discuss football with the most?

Craig Hogg here, Andy Parkinson and Lee Jones at Tranmere Rovers.

You’re renowned for being constantly thinking and breathing football, how do you switch off when you need to?

When I fall asleep! Because even when I’m lying in bed I’m thinking about sessions and the games coming up, I’ve usually got my headphones on watching games on the iPad or the television, it doesn’t matter what league it’s in I just absolutely love watching football. Luckily I’ve got a very supportive wife who understands how I feel about football.

Alan you work full time with the Academy Development over at Tranmere Rovers and assist with our own when time allows, how much of an onus would you place on today’s academies for producing home-grown players and do you think they’re heading in a better direction that more recent times?

Yes, but it’s a big jump from the development squads at clubs to first team football, players need the development of playing games at U19’s level and then hopefully when they get given a chance at first team football they take it. We know how hard and physical the WPL is and any men’s football for that matter. Our Academy is improving all the time and it will only be a matter of time before our home-grown players get in to the first team with the coaches we have in our academy, but we still have to push players to improve and not let players be in their comfort zone, they need to be pushed on to progress.

Aaron Hassall received his International Clearance at the end of last week, talk us through what Aaron is going to bring to the side and how you see him fitting in to Llandudno’s system?

We all saw Aaron’s ability in pre-season, I was gutted when he left but I’m made up he’s back with us now. As the team has had a great start he’ll have to be patient and wait for his chance. Luckily for us and Aaron he can fit in at central midfield, out wide, or as a No.10 so he can play in various positons and will be a valuable member of the squad this season.

Newly promoted Barry Town United this Saturday for the first time in the club’s history, a club with a great following and a tie that everyone is looking forward to with their steep WPL history, do fixtures like this excite you and what have you made of them so far?

Every game excites me so it doesn’t matter if we play someone in tier 7 or teams in the JDWPL, Barry have got massive history and they’ve done really well to get back to where they are today. Gavin Chesterfield has played a big part in Barry’s resurgence, and it’s going to be a very difficult game for us, you can see so far they don’t give much away so we’re going to have to be at our best to get all three points.

And finally it was the draw for the second round of the JD Welsh Cup yesterday and our local Welsh Alliance 2 side Llandudno Albion who also use this ground as their home have been handed a home tie against Rhyl Football Club which has caused great excitement in the local area. Whoever the victors would cause a fascinating tie for us were we to draw either of them in the third round, however an all-Llandudno clash between us and the Albion would be great for the town would it not?

Yes it would be! But we know how hard the Welsh Cup is because it doesn’t matter who you play it’s a very hard game with all teams across all divisions hungry to progress to the net round, the Welsh Cup is a special competition for me going back to my days at Bangor where we won two cups on the bounce and I left just before they won their third one, but hopefully fingers crossed this year we might win a game in the Welsh Cup!